All Things Bright and Beautiful

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all. He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. [From the hymn written by Cecil F. Alexander, 1848] Raindrops Pine Seed Pod Trumpet Vine B Blue Hydrangea Blossom Lotus Blossom Soaking Tiger Balloon Vine Tendrils Wild Georgia Blackberries Swallowtail Mississippi Delta Sunflower Mimosa Blossom Peacock Pink and Red Crape Myrtle Blossoms Dragonfly Orange Flamingos  And last, but not least ... My favorite ginkgo tree in the Vicksburg National Cemetery May your weekend be filled with all things bright and beautiful.

Wild Things! -- Part II

This is a continuation of my photo journal of a recent visit to the Jackson Zoo. I hope you will click on the pictures to enlarge them and see the amazing details in the faces of the animals.

Around the corner from the leopard's home, we found the elephants. But first, I'd like to share some photos I took along the way.

These two guys were sunning themselves beside their pond ...

... and were probably daydreaming about
sharing a pond with these little fellows ...

The Zebra almost faded into the wall behind him, and stood still as a statue while I took his picture ...

These two antelopes paused for their portraits, too ...

What a cute little guy ...
he looks like he's smiling at me.

These two little critters are Red River Hogs, whose natural habitat is Africa. They can weigh up to 200 pounds, and live in herds.

This sweet little antelope was in a large pen with some monkeys. I couldn't believe how big his eyes are ...

Sorry, I wandered off the beaten path for a moment. We were on our way to see the African Elephants, and there were two of them ...

This one was friendly and proceeded to show me how he eats rocks ...

I was amazed at the way his trunk curled around the rock ...

I have to admit that it was rather daunting to see this big guy lumbering toward me, fence or no fence ... but isn't he magnificent!

This ends Part II of my zoo photo shoot. I hope you will join me tomorrow for the rest of the story.

Sincerely,